Political Quotes

“I was pleased that earlier today the Senate voted to move forward with the China currency legislation that has been worked on for so many years by Senators Schumer and Graham, and I am pleased to join with them. I supported similar legislation in 2005. I will say a couple things as our Members evaluate what they will do on final passage. I believe in trade. I believe in good trade, and most trade is good trade. Countries do need to compete with the production in other countries. If you have a trade partner, normally both partners, through a relationship, benefit. In a treaty, trade, or business relationship, if one party to that relationship is being damaged by that relationship, then they have to confront the problem and fix it or withdraw from the relationship. That is just the way life is. I see that some of my free market friends--and I have a lot of them-- on trade issues are religious about it. It is a religion with them. They don't want to analyze whether the trading agreement advantages the United States or the other party; they just want to say: If it is a trade agreement, be for it. Anything that promotes trade is good, and peace will break out in the world. Well, that is not right, and that is not what I think conservatives believe. I am a conservative--a conservative who believes in reality. Conservatism is a cast of mind, not an ideology. It is an approach to complex issues.…”